Sheet-retarding delivery for printing-machines.



E. 0. UARTWRIGHT. SHEET RETARDING DELIVERY FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1913. 1,085,665.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

V 'IIVVEIVTOR 17. 0. arirrfqizb BY W N A TTOR/VEYJ LUMIIA PLANOUIAPN CO B. 0. GARTWRIGHT. SHEET RETARDING DELIVERY EOE PRINTING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED PBBJO, 1913.

1,085,665. Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: INVEA/TZR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST 0. CARTWRIGHT, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE TI-IIRD TO LOUIS K. FISHER, OF DAYTON, OHIO, AND ONE-THIRD TO BYRON D. CAMPBELL, OF WEST MILTON, OHIO.

SHEET-RETARDING DELIVERY FOR PRINTING-MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST O. GART- WRIGHT, residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Sheet-Re tarding Delivery for PrintingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my present invention is to provide means for retarding the travel of a printed sheet of paper in a printing ma:- chine as it passes to the point of delivery and is deposited upon other previously printed sheets, and in such a manner as to lengthen the time of exposure to the air, of each sheet, between the movements of printing and delivery, in order that the ink deposited upon the sheet may have opportunity to set or sufficiently dry to avoid off setting or soiling the sheet that is delivered on top of it.

It is well known that printed sheets from presses, especially those of rapid operation, when delivered in the ordinary manner, are often soiled on their under side by contact with the freshly printed sheets next below them.

Among devices now used in this art for.

overcoming the objection noted, is a means requiring three complete printing performances of the press before a sheet printed at the first impulse comes to rest upon the delivery pile, and such means includes a special construction of tape rollers and tapes in a telescoping frame. Such means is more afforded for the purpose and for that reason has not come into use extensively. 7

My sheet retarding delivery mechanism can be attached, with reasonable convenience, to any printing press of the front delivery type, but it is more especially designed for and is preferably embodied to form a cooperative part of the complete construction of my rapidly operated cylinder job printing press fully disclosed in my Specification of Letters Patent.

' retarding and Patented Feb. 3,1914.

Application filed February 10, 1913. Serial No. 747,377.

copending application, filed on even date with this application, Serial No. 747,375 in which application the general construction, the operation, and the advantages of my present invention are set forth.

In its generic nature my present invention involves means forintermittently arresting the dropping of the printed sheets, and finally depositing the said printed sheets, repeatingthe arresting function as many times as may be necessary or desired before the sheet is finally allowed to rest on the printed pile.

In its more subordinate features my invention embodies the novel arrangement and peculiar combinations of the parts hereinafter fully explained, specifically pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my sheet delivery mechanism, the hinged end of the delivery tape holder being shown swung up, to the better illustrate the operative connections of the fliers hereinafter specifically set out. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section of the mechanism shown in Fig. l, the parts being shown in their operative position and direction of movement of the sheet from the printing cylinder being indicated by arrows, the first, third and fifth sheet intercepting fliers being shown at the inner or pulled back position, and the second, fourth and last sheet intercepting fliers shown at their outermost or sheet holding position. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the positions of the two sets of sheet intercepting fliers being reversed to that shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view, parts being in section, of one of the hinged bearing devices used for pivoting the delivery board, hereinafter explained. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view that illustrates one of the crank drives for actuating one of the two sets of fliers.

In the drawings I have illustrated only so much of my high speed press disclosed in my copending application as is necessary to show the practical application of my present invention, and in the said drawings, 1-1 designate the delivery end of the opposite side frames of the printing press, 2 the printing cylinder, preferably arranged as shown in my press mechanism before referred to.

3 is the main ofl'take or endless tape carrier, that takes the printed sheet as it is delivered from the front of the cylinder and 4 designates the sheet discharging or delivery tape frame from which the printed sheets pass on to the retarding and delivering devices, the construction and the operation of which will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings. The said devices are designed for dropping, by gravity, a printed sheet and intercepting the same a plurality of times before it is finally deposited, whereby to increase, as itwere, the time until the sheet is finally deposited without in the slightest retarding the printing operations and the offtake or delivery of the printed sheet from the cylinder.

To accomplish the result just stated in a simple, efiicient and positive manner I provide a series of toothed or pronged supporters, hereinafter termed fliers, all horizontally disposed and in parallelism and for longitudinal reciprocation with respect to the travel or delivery route of the printed sheet. These fliers I arrange in pairs, each pair comprising a set, consisting preferably of a plurality of fliers, three being shown as constituting each set. Each set of fliers includes a series of crossbars 5 that extend transversely of the delivery end of the machine. One set of the cross bars 5 are fixedly secured at one end to a traveling head 6 and slidably held and guided between the rails 7 that constitute a part of the side frames, the other set of crossbars 8 being likewise secured to and projected from a like traveling head 9-slidabl v mounted on the rails 10 of the opposite frame-as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. Each of the bars 58 form the supporting means for the sheets and at the same time act as intercepters, since they intermittently hold and retard the delivery of the printed sheet after it is discharged from the hinged delivery board 9.

The sheet supporters or fliers include a desired number of finger rods or prongs fastened into and at right angles to their respective cross or head bars from which they extend in the horizontal plane, and each of the said prongs has its outer end curved upward to such extent as will not interfere with their clearance with the flier next above in the assembly of fliers. The upward projecting of the prong ends also provides for giving the forward edge of the sheet an upward deflection as the flier is drawn under it-thereby lessening the likelihood of the sheet sagging at that point when the front ends of the flier prongs are in vertical alincinent in the progress of the stroke.

The several fliers are of like construction, and are relatively so mounted that in one sliding housing the fliers are mounted higher up in relation to the guideways than in the opposite housing, so that when the two housings are assembled in the machine, the fliers in one housing will clear between the fliers in the other housing in their horizontal travel. The longer dimension of the fliers is such that the free ends of the ones on one side will clear the housing on the other side as they pass during the travel of the slides. The shorter dimension of the fliers is sufliciently greater than the dimension of the maximum sheet to be carried through to prevent the dropping of the frontedge of the sheet, should the fliers stop or pause halfway of their stroke, as is liable to be the case with the promiscuous stopping of the printing mechanism with which the fliers cooperate.

11 designates a toothed or barred rake, the head 12 of which ext-ends transversely of the machine, and is located at a point in front of the supporting bar of the fliers when the machine is at its maximum stroke forward, that ison the side of the bar from which the prongs project, and the said rake 11 is fixedly suspended in a vertical 'plane, and extended downward a suflicient distance to act as a guide for the rear edge of the sheets as they drop from one flier to the one beneath and also after it has left the lowermost flier. 13 designates a second toothed or barred rake and it includes a head in the nature of a crossbar 14, the ends of which are rockably mounted in bearing boxes 15 shiftably mounted on bracket arms 16 that are hingedly connected at their rear ends on the side bars of the frame. The

boxes 15 are adjustably held on the arms 16 by the clamp screws 17 and the crossbar H is held to its rocked adjustments by the screws 18. The prongs 19 on the front rake act as guides for the front edge of the sheet as it is intermittently dropped and for the front edge of the pile of sheets, as shown.

At a proper point in the rear of the flier assembly, is a cross shaft 20 and it is journaled in the side frame members 21 and adapted to receive motion from the printing cylinder by a chain 22 that takes over a sprocket 23 on the cylinder shaft, a sprocket 245 on the shaft 20 and over an idler 25 as shown, it being obvious that as the printing cylinder is oscillated through the connections with the form bed the shaft 20 is oscillated-moved a half revolutionin each complete printing movement of the press.

Each end of the cross shaft 20 carries a crank.

26 of a proper eccentricity to accomplish the full movement of the there. The cranks 26 are set diametrically opposite each other,

and each is pivotally joined with a connectmg rod 27which rods also pivotally join with the sliding housings on their corresponding sides of the machine. A removable bearing 28 is mounted in each-of the upper end frame members, and the said bearing 28 receives the hollow sleeves 29 as is best shown in Fig. i, which constitute one terminal of the supporting frame of the delivery tapes 4: that extends from the pivotal point to the point in the delivery where the fliers come to pause at the forward end of the stroke.

31 designate the terminals of the opposite ends of the delivery tape frame that receives the printed sheet from the press, the said terminal 31 being pivotally mounted on the hollow sleeve 29, see Fig. 4. A shaft 32 journals in the hollow sleeves 29 and it carries the main tape driving roll 33of the sheet delivery and is adapted to receive a continuously rotary motion through the crossed belt 34 that takes over the drive pulley 35 on the main drive shaft of the press.

On that end of the delivery device onto which the printed sheet is delivered from the printing cylinder, is mounted a freely revoluble tape roller 36 connected by the endless tapes 37 with and driven by the main tape roller 33. At the forward end of the delivery device, at the pausing point of the fliers is suitably mounted another freely revo-luble tape roller 38 that is connected, by the endless tapes 39, and is rotated by the main tape roller 33.

By reason of supporting the first and second delivery tape frames in the manner described and shown, provides, as it were, a ready removable oonveyer, since both tape frames can be swung up and readily sustained at their elevated positions, thereby providing for easy access to the press mechanism, with a minimum expense of time and energy, it being also apparent that by hinging thedelivery tape frames and driving the tape rollers from a central point, the mechanism can be folded up at once with out disturbing the adjustments or position of the parts. 7

The operation of the delivery and the retarding means is best explained as follows: The tape roller 33 is given proper speed to time the travel of the sheet fromthe printing cylinder to the top most of the fliers in order that each time a flier is moved to a receiving position there will be a sheet to come upon it. At each complete performance of the press the fliers make a complete reciprocation, that is-the topmost flier and the companion fliers of the set including the topmost flier change places with the several fliers that constitute the other set of fliers and then restored to the original position. As before stated, the front ends of the teeth or prongs of the fliers are free, and theends of the fliers opposite the housing in which they are fastened are free, and the rakes or barred members are adjusted for the proper width of sheet going through. At the point where the printing cylinder presen-ts a sheet to the delivery tapes, the forwarding motion of the latter advances the sheet and propels it into space above the topmost flier with the front edge of the sheet against the forward rake or barred member, and the rear edge of the sheet near the rear rake or barred member. The topmost flier is drawn from under the sheet at the time the flier next below is projected under it, and at the next operation of the press the top flier is presented to receive the printed sheet, while the previous sheet is dropped to the flier No. 3. At the next operation, by repetition, the first sheet drops to No. 4 -the second to- No. 3, and the third to the topmost flier. It is understood I do not limit myself to any specific number of fliers as it will be seen each pair of fliers suflices to retard the progress of the sheet through one complete performance of the press, and it is a matter of choice how many pairs are to be used. To properly support the sheet in the delivery, and present the topmost flier to receive each sheet as it comes from the press, the fliers, which I designate as cc-bc are employed, and the action of the sheet in regard to them is the same as in regard to the others, except that it occurs at the opposite reciprocation from that of the other The object in having the forward rake or barred member hinged in the manner explained is to permit the sheets to be easily removed from the delivery pile by raising the rake out of the way, and by having it pivotally suspended, it still acts as a guide for the forward edge of the sheets between the fliers, even if lifted sufficiently to uncover the front edge of the delivery pile.

From the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the complete construction, the operation and the advantages of my invention will be readily apparent to those-skilled in the art to which my invention relates.

While the specific arrangement of parts shown presents a practical arrangement of my inventionthe details may be varied or modified to suit the particular requirements for which my said invention may be utilized.

W hile the specific arrangement of the parts shown and described discloses a practical arrangement of my invention,- it is obvious, that under the scope of the appended claims the said details of construction may be materially modified or varied without departing from my invention. For example. I have described and shown the means for actuating the flier assembly as actuated directly from the printing cylinder shaft.

When my retarding and separating mechanism is used in connection with a two revolution printing machine, it would be impossible to effect the desired operation of the said mechanism by gearing up the said mechanism directly with the printing cylinder, hence in the practical application of my invention the source of driving power for the said mechanism may be any suitable shaft on the served machine.

What I claim is:

1. In a sheet delivering mechanism for printing machines, which includes a conveyer that discharges the printed sheet to cause it to drop by gravity onto a previously deposited printed sheet; devices of relatively fixed dimensions for intercepting and tem porarily holding the said printed sheet as it gravitates to rest on the preceding printed sheet or sheets.

2. In a sheet delivering mechanism for printing machines in which is included sheet discharging devices that drop the sheet flatwise over the sheet pile receiver; devices of relatively fixed dimensions for intermittent-1y intercepting the printed sheet after it leaves the discharging devices, said means being operatively connected with and actuated by the sheet printing mechanism.

3. In a sheet delivery for printing machines; which includes devices for discharging the printed sheet to fall fiatwise upon a prior deposited printed sheet; devices of rel atively fixed dimensions for retarding the drop of the said sheet and temporarily holding it before it falls onto the prior printed sheet.

4:. In a sheet delivery for printing machines that includes devices for discharging the printed sheet fiatwise upon a prior deposited sheet; catcher fingers for retarding the fall of the said sheet and temporarily sustaining it While a subsequent sheet is passing to its point of discharge.

5. In a sheet delivery for printing machines, in which is included a continuously moving sheet carrier that discharges the sheet flatwise at a point above the sheet pile receiver; means for retarding the drop of the sheet, said means comprising at least one reciprocatory member of relatively fixed dimensions that moves under the falling sheet and devices for confining the sheet within a,

predetermined path of dropping movement when. the said member moves from under the sheet.

6. In a sheet delivery for printing machines, in which is included a continuously moving sheet carrier that discharges the printed sheet fiatwise at a point over the sheet pile receiver; means for retarding the drop of the discharged sheet, said means including a plurality of reciprocatably mounted fingers disposed in different horizontal planes movable across the path of the falling sheets and means for confining the sheets within a predetermined pat-h of dropping movement as the said fingers move under the said sheets.

7. In a sheet delivery for printing ma chines, in which is included a continuously moving sheet carrier that discharges the printed sheet flatwise at a point over the sheet pile receiver; means for retarding the drop of the discharged sheet, said means including a plurality of sets of reciprocatably mounted catcher fingers disposed in different horizontal planes movable across the path of the falling sheets and means for confining the sheets within a predetermined path of dropping movement as the said fingers move under the said sheets, and a means operable from the printing'cylinder drive that actuates the fingers.

8. In a sheet delivery for printing machines; a means for conveying the printed sheet to the point of discharge and dropping it, and a set of reciprocating catcher members each of relatively fixed dimensions for intermittently retarding the drop of the.

sheet as it falls to rest on a preceding sheet. 7

9. In a sheet delivery for printing machines; a means for conveying the printed sheet to the point of discharge and dropping it, and a set of reciprocating catcher members each of relatively fixed dimensions for intermittently retarding the drop of the sheet as it falls to rest on a preceding sheet, and other means for holding the sheet within predetermined confines as it intermittently lowers onto the pile of printed sheets.

10. A sheet delivery for printing ma chines, comprising the following elements in combination: meansfor conveying the sheet and dropping it flatwise at the point of delivery, a plurality of horizontally disposed catcher frames, onto which the sheet is successively dropped from the upper one to the next lower one of the same frames, means for reciprocatably moving each pair of catcher frames relatively in reverse directions and other means for holding the sheet within prescribed confines as it drops from one catcher frame to another catcher frame.

11. In a sheet delivery mechanism for printing machines of the front delivery typemeans for conveying the sheet and dropping it flatwise at the point of delivery-said means including a delivery board from which the printed sheets are dropped fiatwise, a horizontally disposed re'ciprocatory catcher frame of relatively fixed dimensions that receives the dropped sheet and temporarily arrests its fall onto the printed sheet pile, and other means for keeping the sheet within predetermined confines as it leaves the catcher frame.

12. A sheet'delivery mechanism for printing machines of the front delivery type; means for conveying the sheet and dropping it flatwise at the point of delivery, said means including a delivery board and a continuously operable endless tape carrier mounted on the board, the said board being hinged to swing up without affecting the running of the endless tape carrier, a flier that receives the sheet and temporarily retards its fall onto the sheet pile, said flier consisting of a toothed pronged crossbar longitudinally reciprocable with respect to the delivery route of the printed sheet and over the sheet pile receiver and other means for keeping the sheet Within predetermined confines as the flier moves from under it.

13. A sheet retarding delivery mechanism for printing machines, comprising the following elements in combination; a means for conveying the sheet to the point of discharge and dropping it, sheet supporters consisting of crossheads having forwardly extended prongssaid supporters being arranged in pairs, means for reciprocatably moving the sheet supporters and each pair in reverse direction to the other, and means for holding the sheet in predetermined con-- fines as it drops from one supporter to the next lower supporter.

14. A sheet retarding delivery mechanism for printing machines, comprising the following elements in combination; a means for conveying the sheet to the point of discharge and dropping it, sheet supporters consisting of crossheads having forwardly extended prongs-said supporters being arranged in pairs, means for reciprocatably moving the sheet supporters and each pair in reverse direction to the other, and means for holding the sheet in predetermined confines as it drops from one supporter to the next lower supporter, the last said means comprising barred rakes vertically disposed wit-h respect tothe sheet supporters, and arranged to form the opposite sides of a sheet pile confining space.

15. A sheet retarding delivery mechanism for printing machines, comprising the following elements in combination; a means for conveying the sheet to the point of discharge and dropping it, sheet supporters consisting of crossheads having forwardly extended prongssaid supporters being arranged in pairs, means for reciprocatably moving the sheet supporters and each pair in reverse direction to the other, and means for holding the sheet in predetermined confines as it drops from one supporter to the next lower supporter, the last said means comprising an inner barred rake and an outer barred rake, vertically disposed with respect to the sheet supporters, said barred rakes forming the opposite sides of a sheet confining space, the outer barred rake being adj ustably mounted for regulating the width of the said space.

16. A sheet retarding delivery mechanism for printing machines, comprising the following elements in combination; a means for conveying the sheet to the point of discharge and dropping it, sheet supporters consisting of crossheads having forwardly extended prongssaid supporters being ar ranged in pairs, means for reciprocatably moving the sheet supporters and each pair in reverse direction to the other, and means for holding the sheet in predetermined co-nfines as it drops from one supporter to the next lower supporter, the last said means comprising an innerbarred rake and an outer barred rake, vertically disposed with respect to the sheet supporters, said barred rakes forming the opposite sides of a sheetconfining space, the outer barred rake being adjustably mounted for regulating the width of the said space, and a support for the said outer barred rake hingedly connected to the framing.

17. A sheet retarding delivery mechanism for end delivery printing machines having reversely rotatable printing cylinders, and a conveyer that carries the printed sheet to the point of delivery and discharges it fiatwise onto the printed sheet pile receiver; a series of sheet intercepting frames, reciprocatably movable in parallelism with themoving sheetsaid frames being arranged in pairs and each including a sliding frame, a drive shaft having oppositely projected cranks, one at each end-a link connecting each crank with the sliding frame at its corresponding side and a drive connecting the crank shaft and a suitable shaft on the served machine.

ERNEST O. CARTlVRIGHT. Witnesses:

AUG. L. BEAUPAIN, HAROLD LARSEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

